Stool specimen collector

ABSTRACT

A stool specimen container serves also as the original receiver from the donor. The receiver-container is nested within a tub which, when receiving, floats on the water in a water closet supported in position by a frame which rests on the closet bowl. After deposit of the specimen, the covered container is lifted from the tub. All parts of the assemblage may be disposable.

United States Patent [1 1 Taylor [451 Aug. 28, 1973 STOOL SPECIMENCOLLECTOR [76] Inventor: Lawrence A. Taylor, 1282 Whispering Pines Dr.,St. Louis, Mo. 63141 [22] Filed: Dec. 23, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 211,313

[521 US. Cl. 4/1, 4/D1G. 9

{51] Int. Cl A471: 17/00 [58] Field of Search 4/1, 230, 112, 116, 4/111,135

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,588,921 6/1971 Nagel 4/13,654,638 4/1972 Nye 4/1 12 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 16,2419/1894 Great Britain 4/135 408,607 411934 Great Britain.... 4/1 577,2135/1933 Germany 4]! Primary Examiner-William 1. Price AssistantExaminer-Donald B. Massenberg Attorney-Howard H. Darbo et a1.

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT A stool specimen container serves also as the originalreceiver from the donor. The receiver-container is nested within a tubwhich, when receiving, floats on the water in a water closet supportedin position by a frame which rests on the closet bowl. After deposit ofthe specimen, the covered container is lifted from the tub. All parts ofthe assemblage may be disposable.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 28, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r mM mf M 8 w m Patented Aug. 28, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 STOOL SPECIMENCOLLECTOR BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For certain purposes,laboratory examination of human feces is an important part of thediagnostic process. Stool specimens are taken and examined forconditions relative to the ailment of the patient. For example, thefecal matter may be examined for the presence of parasites, occult bloodor fat. Gross characteristics, such as shape, size, color, weight,consistency and odor, may be pertinent. Cultures may be taken todetermine the presence of bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa.

For any such examination, a specimen of the patients stool must, ofcourse, be made available to the laboratory. It should not becontaminated by urine or other extraneous matter. The collection of sucha specimen has been a difficult, disagreeable and even dangerous taskfor both medical personnel and the patient. Usually, the patient ishanded a small sputum cup and then left to his own devices forcollection of a stool specimen by whatever method he is able to devise.Sometimes a sample is retrieved from the toilet or a bed pan or potty isused. However taken, part or all of the specimen must usually betransferred to another and proper container. Any such handling of thefecal matter by nurses or other medical personnel involves the danger ofcontraction of infectious hepatitis. Because of this danger and thegenerally disagreeable nature of the collection process, fecalexamination, although indicated, is frequently neglected.

The object of this invention is to provide a stool specimen collectorwhich facilitates the entire process of collecting and transferring astool specimen to the laboratory, which makes it possible to directlyreceive the stool in the container in which it is sent to thelaboratory, avoiding the necessity of any transfer or other handling ofthe fecal matter by either the donor or medical personnel, and whichlargely avoids contamination of the feces specimen by urine or othermatter. The collector is designed to be placed in a water closet type oftoilet so that the patient may defecate naturally and, after completingnormal ablutions, may cover the container and remove it for delivery asnecessary, disposing of the container supporting structure by simplythrowing it away.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description thereof proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a cross-sectional view showing thestool specimen collector arranged in a water closet for use.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the collector supporting frame before foldingfor use.

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing therecciver-container and lid therefor.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container taken at line 4-4 ofFIG. 3. The container is shown in nested position in the supporting tubwhich is indicated by dotdash lines.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT The stool specimen collectorassemblage comprises a receivercontainer l nested within a tub 2 whichis arranged in an opening 3 in a U-shaped supporting frame 4. Lid 5covers the container to enclose the stool specimen therein. Both thereceiver-container l and the tub 2 may be made of plastic materialhaving sufficient strength and rigidity to maintain the forms of thesearticles under the conditions of use. They may be rectangular, as shown,or may have circular, oval or other shape. The side walls of at leastthe receiver-container taper inwardly toward their bottoms so that thecontainer can nest loosely within the outer tub.

Beads 6 and 7 at the peripheries, respectively, of container 1 and tub 2provide strength and assist in the positioning of the container withinthe tub. The vertical grooves 8 formed in the side walls are optional,being provided to stiffen these walls. Lid 5 is preferably provided witha tab 9 which extends outwardly beyond the normal flange 10 of the lidand beyond the flange ll of container 1 to facilitate removal of the lidfrom container. The flange 11 of container 1 extends outwardly beyondflange 12 of tub 2 so that the container may readily be lifted up, outof the tub after the stool specimen has been deposited.

Frame 4 may be economically made of stiff corrugated board, fold lines13 being impressed to facilitate the forming of the frame into thedesired configuration (as shown in FIG. 1) for use. The side arms 14 and15 are as narrow as they may be made without rendering them too weak toserve the intended purpose of the frame in order to adapt the frame foruse with the somewhat varying dimensions and contours of water closets.Also, opening 3 in the middle sedtion of the frame is provided in theoffset location shown in FIG. 2 by extending the frame at this locationin a direction which will be towards the rear of the water closet wheninstalled. The purpose is to locate this opening, and consequently thereceiver-container, immediately underneath the rectal area of the donorwhen seated normally upon the toilet. This rearward location is alsodesirable to minimize the catchment of urine in the case of femaledonors.

The stool specimen collector may be supplied as a kit comprising theparts described. To use it in the collection of a stool specimen, theseat 16 of a water closet type of toilet is lifted out of the way. Thecollector frame is then bent along the fold lines to form a supportwhich is then placed in position upon the toilet bowl 17 as shown inFIG. 1. The toilet seat is then lowered to rest upon the frame, holdingit in position, and tub 2, having receiver-container 1, lid removed,nested therein, is then lowered down through opening 3 into the waterstanding in the water closet. The arrangement is such that in most waterclosets frame 4 serves only to locate and restrain the container-tubassembly from sidewise movement, the latter supporting itself byfloating upon the water, as shown. This arrangement minimizes the loadupon the frame so that the latter may be made of relatively light weightmaterial and also places the receiver-container well below the seat ofthe toilet so that the stool may separate from the donor in a normalmanner. After defecation and normal procedures are completed, the personmay either place the lid on the container and lift the thus coveredcontainer from the tub or may first remove the container and thereaftercover it. The frame and tub may then be discarded and the specimendelivered to medical personnel in the covered container for notation ofthe name of the donor and other desired information on the container andfor delivery to the laboratory.

The stool specimen collector described makes it possible to complete thenormally very disagreeable task of collecting a stool specimen withoutany disagreeable aspect from the standpoint either of the donor or ofmedical personnel responsible for the procurement and transmission ofthe specimen to the laboratory. The donor merely defecates normallyafter inserting the collector in the toilet, then simply closes thecontainer for delivery and throws away the frame and tub. The containeris not even wetted on the outside, being protected by the tub fromcontamination by the water, and possibly urine, contained in hepatitistoilet. The danger of contraction of infectious heptitis by medicalpersonnel is completely eliminated since there is no contact whateverwith the fecal matter. The specimen is uncontaminated and the entirestool may be accommodated in the container for study of grossmicroscopic and other characteristics in the laboratory.

All parts of the container are preferably made of materials which canreasonably be disposed of after a single use, avoiding possible crosscontamination and the mess and cost of cleaning the parts. As used inthe claims, the expression disposable material means material which issufficiently cheap to be discarded after a single use. The frame or theparts may be of more permanent and reusable construction if desired.Also, the collector may also be used for the collection of urine, havingspecial advantage in the case of female donors. The orientation of theframe in the water closet may be reversed for this purpose to place thecontainer in a forward position.

The collector assemblage may be packaged in individual kits and may beused with equal convenience in the hospital, clinic or home.

I claim:

1. A stool specimen collector comprising a receivercontainer having aremovable lid, a water impervious tub sufficiently larger than saidreceiver-container to accommodate the latter in loosely fitting nestedposition therein, and means adapted to hold said tub with saidreceiver-container nested therein in the bowl of a water closet at alocation to receive a stool from a donor seated upon the water closet.

2. A stool specimen collector in accordance with claim 1 wherein thereceiver-container is made of disposable plastic.

3. A stool specimen collector in accordance with claim 1 wherein thereceiver-container and the tub are made of disposable plastic.

4. A stool specimen collector in accordance with claim 1 wherein the tubholding means comprises structure which limits sidewise movement of saidtub while permitting said tub to float in the water in the water closet.

5. A stool specimen collector comprising a U-shaped frame having sidearms and adapted to be seated in the bowl of a water closet supportedthereby through said side arms, said frame having an opening in themiddle of the bottom portion thereof, a tub arranged in said opening anda receiver-container nested within said tub to receive a stool specimendirectly from a donor.

6. A stool specimen collector in accordance with claim 5 wherein saidtub, said reciever-container and said frame are made of disposablematerials.

7. A stool specimen collector comprising a water closet including a bowland water standing therein, a U-shaped frame arranged within said bowland having side arms resting upon the top of said bowl, said framehaving a bottom portion disposed above said water and having an openingtherein, a tub loosely arranged in said opening and floating on saidwater, and a receivercontainer nested within said tub to receive a stoolspecimen normally defecated thereinto by a donor seated upon said watercloset.

8. The method of collecting a stool specimen which comprises the stepsof arranging a tub of water impervious material about as far down aspossible in the bowl of a water closet with the open top thereof abovethe water therein, placing a receivercontainer in said tub, defecatingthe stool specimen into said receivercontainer from normal seatedposition upon said water closet, and removing said receiver-containerfrom said tub and covering the same.

Mme) S'EATES PATENT OFFICE (QER'EHECATE 0F CORREC'HON aten 3 754, 287Dated Auqust 28, 1973 Inventor(s) Lawrence A. Taylor It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 1, line 66, "receivercontainer" should be --receiver-container;

Col. 2, line 30, "sedtion" should be --section;

Col. 3, line 12, after "contained in" delete "hepatitis" and insert-the--;

Col. 3, line 13, heptitis" should be --hepatitis-;

Col. 4, line 21, "reciever" should be -receiver--;

Col. 4, line 37, "receivercontainer" should be -receiver-container.

Signed and sealed this 18th. day of December 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M. FLETCHER, JR. RENE D. TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer ActingCommissioner of Patents A er USCOMM-DC 6037 6'P69

1. A stool specimen collector comprising a receiver-container having aremovable lid, a water impervious tub sufficiently larger than saidreceiver-container to accommodate the latter in loosely fitting nestedposition therein, and means adapted to hold said tub with saidreceiver-container nested therein in the bowl of a water closet at alocation to receive a stool from a donor seated upon the water closet.2. A stool specimen collector in accordance with claim 1 wherein thereceiver-container is made of disposable plastic.
 3. A stool specimencollector in accordance with claim 1 wherein the receiver-container andthe tub are made of disposable plastic.
 4. A stool specimen collector inaccordance with claim 1 wherein the tub holding means comprisesstructure which limits sidewise movement of said tub while permittingsaid tub to float in the water in the water closet.
 5. A stool specimencollector comprising a U-shaped frame having side arms and adapted to beseated in the bowl of a water closet supported thereby through said sidearms, said frame having an opening in the middle of the bottom portionthereof, a tub arranged in said opening and a receiver-container nestedwithin said tub to receive a stool specimen directly from a donor.
 6. Astool specimen collector in accordance with claim 5 wherein said tub,said reciever-container and said frame are made of disposable materials.7. A stool specimen collector comprising a water closet including a bowland water standing therein, a U-shaped frame arranged within said bowland having side arms resting upon the top of said bowl, said framehaving a bottom portion disposed above said water and having an openingtherein, a tub loosely arranged in said opening and floating on saidwater, and a receiver-container nested within said tub to receive astool specimen normally defecated thereinto by a donor seated upon saidwater closet.
 8. The method of collecting a stool specimen whichcomprises the steps of arranging a tub of water impervious materialabout as far down as possible in the bowl of a water closet with theopen top thereof above the water therein, placing a receivercontainer insaid tub, defecating the stool specimen into said receiver-containerfrom normal seated position upon said water closet, and removing saidreceiver-container from said tub and covering the same.